Let patients try again after a known sending failure

What to change

Ask the supplier to prevent repeated sending while a request is in progress, then restore the appropriate action when a confirmed failure can be retried.

A worked example

Illustrative example

The visitor sees Sending while a request is pending. A confirmed rejection restores Send enquiry beside a clear explanation of the failure.

Healthcare website design showing connected desktop and mobile service and enquiry layouts. — Make the service and next step clear on every screen.

Healthcare website accessibility illustrated by a focus outline, keyboard key, contrast samples and form. — Review keyboard access, contrast and understandable form fields.

Why this matters to your practice

A form that says Try again but offers no working button leaves the visitor stranded. Ask to see the complete recovery after a confirmed failure: message, correction if needed, and another attempt. This is different from a request whose outcome is still unknown after a connection problem. Your supplier should explain how those cases differ before deciding when another send is appropriate. The wording should make that difference understandable without expecting the visitor to know how the website communicates with its systems.

How to check the result

Accept when a recoverable failure never leaves the interface stuck, and each retry produces one understandable outcome for the current answers.

A mistake to avoid

Enabling retries after an uncertain connection loss requires a separate duplication strategy; a working button alone does not resolve that uncertainty.

Turn reading into a next step

Your action checklist

Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.

Checks to discussAsk the supplier to simulate a rejected test request. Check that the button leaves its busy state and becomes available once retry is appropriate.Correct a field after the failure and activate the button with keyboard and touch. Confirm the retry uses the corrected values rather than the earlier attempt.Compare the pending, failed and successful states. Each should describe what is happening without using the same generic label for incompatible outcomes.

Your answers and notes

Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.

What happens next, and who will do it?

Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.

Related guides

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